


Sweeter Than Caramel

by tealuvhonor



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bisexual Character, Fighting Kink, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Smoking, The great FrapGate of 2017, all that pure shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-01 04:31:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealuvhonor/pseuds/tealuvhonor
Summary: Shizuo lands a job at a local coffee shop and Izaya unfortunately becomes a regular. Close quarters prove interesting.





	1. of Flip Phones and Fraps

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory coffee shop AU for the assholes whomst I love !!
> 
> Edit: The sweet debacle if rectified and explained (Shizuo is picky about his sugar and Izaya is just plain suffering)

It was about 9AM and Shizuo had already broken 2 styrofoam cups, spilled a pot of scalding hot coffee on his apron, and told an angry customer to shove it. 

All in all, a great second day at work, considering his previous exploits in the food business, several of which had ended in broken limbs. The only reason he'd landed a job at Coffee Valley was through personal connections (AKA Tom) who he'd assumed had greased some palms to convince the owner to take on the most volatile man in Ikebukuro when they weren't even hiring to begin with. In fact, it was Tom's idea to get him a job at a cafe. 

'You need a calm work environment, man. I think you can hold this one,' he'd said, though Shizuo highly doubted it. He owed it to Tom to try his best, though. He was honestly the closest thing he had to a friend, and without him Shizuo would be relying on Dollars operations to pay his bills- shady shit that'd get the cops involved for sure. And everyone knew he had a shining reputation when it came to authority figures.

That was sarcasm. 

The barista crash course was a lot more complicated than he initially thought it would be. Shizuo was shocked to learn how many different ways one could consume caffeine, and the peculiarities annoyed the absolute hell out of him. 

But above all, he hated the frappuccino. Despised it. For starters, the drink itself was a miserable slush packed with nasty over-sweetened syrups and half melted ice chips. It didn't even taste good, and they took 5 whole minutes to make. Stupid glorified milkshakes. 

Thankfully, it was winter, and only the truest of douchebags ordered fraps in weather that frigid. 

One thing he admittedly enjoyed, though, was pouring those little foam patterns in lattes and cappuccinos. What could he say? It was relaxing. Everything else was a challenge, however, and it showed on his arms in the form of tiny raw burns.

But shit, he was trying.

The morning rush was just about finished when a familiar face appeared at the door. Shinra glided his way to the counter, looking frazzled as always, yet smiling up to his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses. 

"You made it through the week!," he exclaimed, drumming the countertop for emphasis, "I'm proud of you. Celty and I had a bet . She said you wouldn't make it three days, but I believed in you." 

"Gee, tell her I say thanks," Shizuo replied dryly. 

"Hey, it's not like that. You know you don't have a fabulous track record when it comes to fast food service. Remember that one time you worked the counter at the ramen bar and beat that one guy unconscious with a leek?" 

"Hard to forget," Shizuo snickered, cracking a tiny smile at the reminiscence. "Can I get you something?" 

"Large espresso. Pulled an all nighter patching up some Yellow Scarf member. Almost passed out with the stitches halfway done- I'm dying here." 

"Coming up." 

The drink was simple, and Shinra was in and out just like that. The next hour passed without incident, and Shizuo managed to maintain his good mood until noon. He even caught himself whistling, fuckin' whistling. 

Maybe Tom was right. 

He was in the middle of adding whipped cream to a hot chocolate when the door opened and shut. He had his back turned, so he didn't realize that the spawn of Satan himself had sauntered into the shop, leaning casually over the counter. It wasn't until he heard that voice when he whirled his head around so fast he could've given himself whiplash. 

"I've always liked how you looked in an apron, Shizu-chan, I could almost mistake you for a normal human being," an irritatingly melodic laugh rung out, "Not quite, though." 

Shizuo swore he felt the blood boil in his veins subconsciously, and his grip on the whipped cream can dented it until his knuckles went white. Something about Izaya's permanently easygoing tone just set his temper aflame like nothing else could. Since high school, just being in the same room together created a tension that rivaled no other, and everyone knew it, too. That's probably why at least two of the shop's patrons hightailed it out of there the second Izaya opened his stupid mouth. 

"Get the hell out of here before I bash your face in, flea." 

"I believe it's pronounced 'can I take your order?', but I forgive you." 

Shizuo slammed the can down on the table, leaning over until their foreheads practically met. Izaya had a glint in his eye that made him snarl, baring teeth. "Listen, asshole-" 

Someone cleared their throat loudly from the corner of the room. The manager had his eyebrows quirked, and his face clearly said get your shit together. 

"Heiwajima," he barked, gesturing toward Izaya, who had leaned back, looking infuriatingly smug. 

It took all the strength in his body to exhale slowly and meet Izaya's eyes, gritting his teeth. 

"What can I get you today?" 

" Uhhhhhhh...let's see," the smaller man murmured, peering over Shizuo's shoulder to see the menu. "I'll have a small- no, large caramel frap. Extra caramel," he said after about a minute of unnecessary deliberation that had Shizuo digging his nails into his palms in a fist. 

Of course. 

"Anything else?" 

"A smile would be nice." 

"Fuck you." 

He got to work starting up the blender, and Izaya watched him intensely the entire time. He squeezed the bottle of caramel sauce so hard that the top popped off, earning an obnoxious snicker from his sworn enemy, whom he was making a disgusting drink for. He's pretty sure this has happened in a nightmare before. 

He stuck a straw in the cup, sliding it across the surface to Izaya before leaning in and whispering a brief warning. 

"This is my goddamn job, and I intend to keep it, but I swear that if I see you outside, you're dead," Shizuo hissed, voice gravelly, but it only made Izaya smirk. 

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Shizu-chan." 

Shizuo rolled his eyes, still amazed he wasn't fired yet and that the other man's vitals were still intact. Subsequently, he was relieved to be done with the exchange and return to work without incident. He rolled his shoulders back, reaching to scoop coffee beans into the machine.

But instead the universe decided to wish him a big "Fuck You" as Izaya hopped to the closest table, sitting back leisurely and holding eye contact with Shizuo all the while. 

"I've never seen you so calm. Forgive me if I wanna savor it for a little while." 

"Izaya, if you know what's good for you-" 

"What hours do you work?," the dark haired man asked between obnoxiously loud sips of his drink. Shizuo was really beginning to snap. 

"None of your business." 

"I'll just have to come in every day, then." 

 

The info broker didn't leave for two hours, and it was the closest thing to dying that Shizuo had ever experienced. He drank the frap slowly, slurping and swirling his straw around until he hit the bottom. 

"Buy something else or leave," the blond man said, and Izaya ordered the same damn drink with a smile. "It's below freezing outside," Shizuo deadpanned. 

"Your company keeps me warm," he purred, and if he'd been sincere, Shizuo could have flushed red from head to toe. 

"Never say that ever again or I'll hit you with a mailbox." 

Izaya opened his mouth to reply just as his phone began to ring. The default ringtone echoed across the shop until the informant fished it out of his pocket, pressing it between his cheek and his shoulder. Someone was yelling on the other line, and Shizuo could hear it from behind the counter. Apparently he wasn't the only person Izaya had pissed off today. 

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Relax," he rolled his eyes, "Business, Namie. Give me five minutes." 

Shizuo watched the exchange out of the corner of his eye, thinking absentmindedly that he'd never seen Izaya that irritated before and nearly spilling a green tea all over himself. 

The other man flipped his phone shut quite dramatically. So that's why he still has a flip phone, Shizuo mused to himself. 

"See you tomorrow, Shizu-chan!" Izaya yelled as he shot up and pushed the chair in with a squeak. Just like that, he was gone. 

"God forbid," the blond muttered under his breath. 

So much for calm.


	2. Of Hearts and Hot Drinks

On the very next day, Shizuo didn't go a second without craving a smoke. The looming anxiety of whatever shit Izaya might try to pull if he showed up drove him to near lunacy on his commute. He spent all night trying to understand why his rival decided to start visiting him, especially when he most likely kept tabs on Shizuo's tendency to succumb to his temper at the expense of his work. 

In fact, he hadn't the faintest idea why he didn't drag the bastard out into the street and slam him into the pavement so hard that his reedy little body left a crater. Hadn't stopped him before. 

He goes with "rent is due in a week and his friend kinda sorta believed him him." 

He was on the train, hands dug into his pockets and fighting the urge to break something of the vending machinery persuasion when his phone buzzed. The obtrusive activity severed his train of thought quite suddenly. 

"What's up, Shinra?" he answered, eyeing the No Smoking sign near the automatic door. 

"Just being nosy," what else is new... "But I heard Izaya paid you a visit after I left yesterday, and nobody's in the hospital! I'm proud of you," a pause, "I also wanted to apologize." 

"Oh, Christ, what did you do this time?" 

"Well, I'm sort of the reason that he knows where you are," Shinra explained sheepishly. 

"Oh, you are so lucky you're not in punching distance right now," Shizuo snarled. Of fucking course. The doctor's mouth was gigantic, and Izaya never passed up recent info, especially if it had to do with him. 

"Jackass, you know he's obsessed with me-" 

"No offense, but you're pretty much just as obsessed with hi-." 

The blond hung up before he could even finish that sentence.

He just about jogged to the storefront and dug around for a cigarette from his back pocket, calloused fingers almost shaking with impatience. The nicotine flooding his lungs soothed a bit of his unrest, and he leaned back against the front window to the coffee shop. With every exhale, he focused on the smoke swirling upward in mesmerizing patterns. It was one of those moments when he couldn't even entertain the idea of quitting. If the damage he dealt to his body so far hadn't killed him yet, who says cigarettes would? A small part of him needed it for another reason- he wanted to feel weak, had to maintain some semblance of physical inferiority to counter the horrifying trait he was cursed with. He didn't work for it, and continuously failed to resist hurting people. Admittedly, the thugs he beats down on have it coming, but he'd rather be weak than constantly afraid of people he loved, good, decent people, getting caught in the crossfire. 

And Izaya never let him forget that. 

 

He had to clock in sooner than later, so he let the cigarette butt die out on the sidewalk, using his heel for good measure. 

___________

He was beginning to think his boss only kept him around because of the female patrons he apparently attracted. Younger women, aware of his reputation or not, began to frequent the shop and tip suspiciously well. 

He was clueless at first, if not a bit frazzled by the attention. Once he got a girl's order completely wrong and she didn't even notice, more preoccupied with watching Shizuo from a table in the far corner and giggling with her friends. 

The barista working beside him, a bleary-eyed university student who was clearly amused by the situation, instructed him to start doodling hearts on their cups beside the names. Shizuo had blushed crimson up to the bleached roots of his hair, but reluctantly tested it out that morning. 

It was before school started, and the place was packed with Raira kids. It got him sort of nostalgic, actually, watching students so youthful and enthusiastic, blissfully unaware of some of the despicable shit that went down in the city they called home. On second thought, it was sort of unnerving how many of these kids were involved with the gang activity surfacing. 

Biting his lip, he scrawled a badly executed heart on the side of a latte and passed it on to a pretty brunette, barely meeting her eyes out of sheer embarrassment. 

Her cheeks immediately went pink, and she stuttered out a thank-you, scurrying away. 

The pack of cigarettes felt heavy in his pocket all of a sudden. 

___________________

 

"Good morning, Shizu-chan!" 

Izaya's voice cracked horrendously, and his exclamation was followed up by a violent sneeze. 

"I'm not making you another frap," Shizuo said, not even looking up from his work. 

"Ew, never again. I can't believe I put myself through that just to piss you off. Made me fucking sick." 

And indeed it had. When Shizuo looked up, he noticed immediately that the other man's nose was tinged pink, his eyes puffy and glassy. He looked awful-it was great. 

"Maybe you're fucking sick because you had two frozen drinks in the dead of winter." 

"It seemed funny at the time. How do you stomach all that sugar, anyway? You eat like a five year old." 

"I don't even like frappuccinos, smartass." 

"So you're picky like a five year old as well." 

"Fuck off. What do you want? Also, keep your distance. Get me sick and I'll kill you quicker." 

"Whatever. I need green tea; my throat feels like sandpaper," the informant whined.

"Doesn't keep you from mouthing off. Sugar?" 

"Hell no," Izaya cringed. 

"Heathen. Give me a second." 

It was extremely scary that this was the most domestic conversation they'd ever had in the eight years they'd known each other, and anyone who knew them would be dumbfounded. Erika would lose her shit, hands down. 

Shizuo lost himself in the motions, steeping the tea while Izaya remained uncharacteristically silent, coughing into his sleeve every once in a while. 

He half expected a switchblade at his back, but it never came. 

When he handed the styrofoam cup to the man he hated more than anyone in the world, their fingers touched briefly, a stark contrast to the rough punches and jabs they were accustomed to. Izaya's hand was ice cold, and a shiver ran all the way down Shizuo's spine before they broke away. Weird. 

 

Shizuo watched him examine the drink with a look in his eyes he rarely saw: bewilderment. 

"Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw," Izaya murmured, urging Shizuo to raise an eyebrow at him. The black haired man was still squinting at his drink. 

"Excuse me?" 

Izaya's smug expression returned as quickly as it went, and he shoved the cup in the blond's face. Without even realizing, he had drawn a pretty big heart onto it. In fact, he subconsciously bothered himself to write Izaya's name despite him being the only customer on line at the time. 

He sort of wanted to curl up and die. 

"Didn't know you felt that way about me, Shizu-chan." 

"That was an accident. I've done it on every cup today," Shizuo replied through gritted teeth. He felt his cheeks begin to burn.

"You were never a good liar." 

"God, I wanna murder you." 

"At least take me out to dinner first-" 

Shizuo hopped the counter before Izaya could finish, but the smaller man, being agile as ever, was out the door before he could reach him. 

His heart was pumping so intensely that he felt it up to his ears. The frigid air caressed his flushed cheeks, and the blond slammed the door behind him after informing the manager that he was taking his 15 minute break. 

During his third consecutive cigarette, Shizuo felt his cell phone go off with a strong vibration against his leg. Unsurprisingly, he had a text from Tom asking to hang out later. He left it for now, observing other notifications. His newest message was from a blocked number. 

There was no doubt about the sender's identity. 

From: Unknown  
<3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narita said on Twitter that Izaya likes green tea so that's a thing. 
> 
> This fic is gonna be longer than anticipated because of how FUN it is to write hot damn.

**Author's Note:**

> Google coffee in Ikebukuro and you'll find the shop Shizuo works in. Also I love starting new fics when I have multiple unfinished ones. Fave hobby. 
> 
> If you comment I'll be ya bestie.


End file.
